2. Example of a page header
Azure Automation
Where is SQL Server Agent in Azure?
Bob Rubocki – Pragmatic Works
March 28, 2017

3. SQL Server 2016 – System Versioned Tables
Bob Rubocki
Sr. Business Intelligence Consultant
linkedin.com/in/robertrubocki
bobrubocki.wordpress.com
@BobRubocki

4. Where is SQL Server Agent in Azure SQL DB?
Azure Automation
Where is SQL Server Agent in Azure SQL DB?

5. How we use SQL Server Agent today
Azure Automation
Agenda
Azure SQL DB overview
How we use SQL Server Agent today
How these use cases apply in Azure SQL DB
Azure Automation Intro
Azure Automation Tour

6. Database service in the cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB Overview
Database service in the cloud
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
DBs in Logical Server (similar to on prem instance)
Apps/SSMS connect to Logical Server

7. Azure SQL DB Service Tiers
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB Service Tiers
DTU (Database Transaction Unit) – “blended measure of CPU, memory, and data I/O and transaction log I/O”
Pricing – Hourly per database
Pricing Details -

8. Note: Not built by porting on-prem to cloud
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB - Cloud First
Note: Not built by porting on-prem to cloud
Don’t assume all on-prem features work in Azure SQL DB (including SQL Server Agent)
New features now deployed to Azure SQL DB before on-prem

9. SSIS Execution Log Shipping DB Backups Change Data Capture Replication
Azure Automation
How We Use SQL Server Agent
SSIS Execution
DB Backups
Replication
Log Shipping
Change Data Capture
SSRS Subscriptions

10. SSIS not available in Azure SQL DB (PaaS)
Azure Automation
SQL Server Agent – SSIS Package Execution
SSIS not available in Azure SQL DB (PaaS)
Use SSIS (and SQL Server Agent) in on-prem or from Azure VM to connect to Azure SQL DB
Consider Azure Data Factory (ADF)

11. Backups managed automatically Included in cost
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB Backups
Backups managed automatically
Included in cost
Restore from specific Point-in-Time
Backup Type
Frequency
Full
Weekly
Incremental
Every few Hours *
Transaction Log
Every 5-10 minutes *
Service Tier
Retention
Basic
7 Days
Standard
35 Days
Premium
* Depends on Service Tier

12. Azure Recovery Services Vault Weekly Full Backups (no partial)
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB Long-Term Backup Retention
Azure Recovery Services Vault
Weekly Full Backups (no partial)
Stores backups for up to 10 years
Custom solutions also available to save backups to Azure storage

13. All HA solutions managed by Azure SQL DB platform
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB High Availability
All HA solutions managed by Azure SQL DB platform
No Replication or Log Shipping configuration
Azure SQL DB as Replication Subscriber of on-prem DB replication

14. Each DB has 3 replicas in same data center (1 primary, 2 secondary)
Azure Automation
Azure SQL DB – High Availability
Each DB has 3 replicas in same data center (1 primary, 2 secondary)
Optional Geo-replication to second Azure geographic location
Standard Geo-replication: Non-readable
Active Geo-replication: Read only

15. Not supported in Azure SQL DB
Azure Automation
SQL Server Agent – Change Data Capture (CDC)
Not supported in Azure SQL DB
SQL Server Agent Jobs read transaction logs to record data changes
Consider alternatives to CDC, such as Temporal Tables

16. Report Subscriptions executed by SQL Server Agent Jobs
Azure Automation
SQL Server Agent – SSRS Report Subscriptions
Report Subscriptions executed by SQL Server Agent Jobs
SSRS not available on Azure SQL DB
SSRS CAN read from Azure SQL DB source

17. SSIS package execution DB backups Replication Log Shipping
Azure Automation
SQL Server Agent in Azure SQL DB
SSIS package execution
DB backups
Replication
Log Shipping
Change Data Capture
SSRS Subscriptions

18. What is Azure Automation?
What Is It?
What is Azure Automation?
“Azure Automation allows you to automate the creation, deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of resources in your Azure environment and across external systems”

19. Scale Service Tier up/down Pause/restart Azure SQL DW
Azure Automation
What Can It Do for Azure SQL DB?
Run SQL scripts
Scale Service Tier up/down
Pause/restart Azure SQL DW
Create Servers, Firewall Rules, DBs
And more…

20. Gather diagnostic info And MUCH more…
Azure Automation
What Else Can It Do?
Create and manage VMs
Manage blob storage
Gather diagnostic info
And MUCH more…
“They do anything that PowerShell can do”

21. Analogous to SQL Server Agent Jobs
Azure Automation
Runbooks
Analogous to SQL Server Agent Jobs
Powershell Script or Graphical design
Job: instance of runbook execution

22. AzureAutomationTutorial
Graphical Runbooks
AzureAutomationTutorial
Cannot convert to script
Tutorials and samples are good for learning common patterns

23. Jobs are created when a Runbook executes
Azure Automation
Jobs
Jobs are created when a Runbook executes

24. Create a schedule (similar to SQL Server Agent!) Choose a schedule
Azure Automation
Scheduling Runbook Execution
Create a schedule (similar to SQL Server Agent!)
Choose a schedule

25. Create Azure Automation Account Review Tutorial Scripts
Getting Started
Create Azure Automation Account
Review Tutorial Scripts
Runbook Gallery (Azure portal or online)

26. SQL Server 2016 – System Versioned Tables
Demo
Demo
Intro to Azure Automation